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Congressman announces plan to end bear hunting using bait (12/27/2002) A Virginia
Congressman has announced his intention to pass legislation that would
ban bear hunting using bait on all federal lands. According to many
state wildlife officials, baiting is needed to help control bear
populations. According to the Associated Press, Representative Jim Moran (D-Arlington, Virginia) plans to introduce the legislation in 2003. Moran claims he will pursue either a standalone bill or an amendment to a spending bill. Currently, the U.S. Department of Interior defers
to state wildlife agencies on such matters. As a result, hunting bear
using baiting is allowed on federal lands in nine states. These states
are Alaska, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Utah,
Wisconsin and Wyoming. The proposed legislation would set a dangerous
precedent by disrupting the cooperative efforts between federal and
state wildlife authorities. Moran has the support of animal rights groups
including the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the nation’s
largest anti-hunting organization. In 1996, HSUS and other anti’s tried to ban bear
baiting in Idaho and Michigan, but voters rejected the proposal. Leading bear biologists from the states also oppose the ban. Karen Noyce, a bear researcher with the Minnesota
Department of Natural Resources said it would be difficult to hunt bears
in the state’s woody terrain without using bait. She goes on to say
that bear baiting has helped to keep the population in check. Population controls, including baiting, have helped
cut down on crop damage and other nuisance problems caused by bears,
said Dave Evenson, the state deer and bear specialist with the Wisconsin
Department of Natural Resources. The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is working with
bear hunting organizations in Michigan and Wisconsin to unite other bear
hunting groups across the United States in opposition to the proposed
bill. “I can promise Congressman Moran that sportsmen will be ready for a vigorous defense when Congress reconvenes in January,” said Bud Pidgeon, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance president. CopyrightÓ U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance- www.ussportsmen.org
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